Red Bands, Overalls, And Smartphone: Fonterra Farmers Go Digital
Fonterra farmers’ usage of information from their Fonterra smartphone apps to run their businesses and connect with the
Co-operative has doubled in the past year.
While Fonterra’s Farm Source website remains popular for reporting and comparisons at month end, Fonterra’s mobile apps
are now used more often for checking key day-to-day information.
Across Fonterra’s farmer mobile apps there have been around 13,000 unique user downloads.
Fonterra GM Operations and Farmer Services Evelyn Seewald said getting information to farmers faster to help them run
their businesses has been a priority for the Co-operative.
“Our farmers are rapid adopters of digital technology on farm and have led the design of our apps with their feedback,
which has been very positive. Farmers who previously swore they’d never need a smartphone now tell us they can’t imagine
life without it.
“Through Fonterra’s smartphone apps farmers can access key milk production and quality information and receive important
business updates, which they’ve really appreciated given the nature of farming means they’re often away from their
computers.”
Ms Seewald said the apps have also been a positive step for the Co-operative’s quality assurance and service delivery to
farmers.
“Having this vital quality and production information at their fingertips means farmers can make timelier on-farm
decisions and can be alerted to any potential quality issues at any time, wherever they are.”
Fonterra currently has three apps available for download for its farmers or users nominated by farmers: a milk
production and quality app launched in 2014, a news app launched last year and a monthly plant check app that is being
piloted this season.
“We’re the only dairy co-operative in New Zealand offering this kind of service to our farmers, and we’re constantly
enhancing our digital offering based on farmer feedback,” Ms Seewald added.
ENDS